10 Value Wines -- American Reds

From Ray Isle of Food & Wine magazine, check out this piece highlighting an array of great wine deals, including the luscious Joseph Carr Napa Valley cab for about $20 -- not a cheap wine, but Napa cab of this quality at that price is pretty rare.
Also highlighted: Castle Rock's Oregon pinot noir at just $13 -- another unheard of bargain for decent pinot; and several merlots in the $15-$20 range that will amaze you.

Delish Chicken Stew recipe from Jamie Oliver

I'm crazy about this TV chef, thanks mostly to his ABC-TV series last summer where he took on transforming the eating habits of the "unhealthiest city in America" (Huntington WV). He has another TV series coming up this spring, I read, and I'll be sure to blog about that so all healthy foodies have a chance to catch it.
Meanwhile, he has an article with several recipes in the current issue of Food & Wine.
My favorite is this, which I plan to cook this week. I love the combo of chicken, leeks and mushrooms, and the addition of a mustard and sour cream sauce sounds marvelous.


Recipe: Chicken and Leek Stew Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
3. 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
6. All-purpose flour, for dusting
7. 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
8. 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
9. 2 tablespoons sour cream
10. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Scrape the leeks and mushrooms onto a plate.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and thyme and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables.
3. Simmer the stock over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken, leeks and mushrooms to the skillet and simmer over low heat until warmed through, about 1 minute.
4. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream with the mustard and stir into the stew. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season the stew with salt and pepper and serve.

Tips for buying wine for the holidays

Whether you're thinking about throwing a party, or giving wine as a gift, here are some thoughts about how to get your best bang for the buck with your wine purchases in December.

1. Buy by the case. When you find a wine you like, get more than one bottle for yourself and for gifts. Most wine shops will allow you to mix a case (12 bottles), not just buy 12 of the same one. In either option, you will save 10-15 percent over the by the bottle price.

2. Look for wines with screw caps. I am a huge fan of this type of closure -- great for parties because you don't have to mess with a corkscrew, and frankly, I love the ease of opening for drinking with dinner at home, too. Some types of wines are mostly screwcaps, including two of my faves -- New Zealand sauvignon blanc and Oregon pinot noir.

3. Select food-friendly wine varietals that will satisfy a range of tastes. Click here for some ideas.

4. Look for affordable sparkling wines. These make great party choices, too. Try Spanish cava, Italian prosecco, or one of my favorites, the New Mexican (yes) sparkling wine by Gruet.

5. Use inexpensive bottles for punches.

Source: Food & Wine